Women await the arrival of government figures at Kismayo airportWomen have had much to gain from Somalia’s new Federal Constitution, whose drafting and implementation has benefited from IDLO’s expertise. Article 15, for example, explicitly forbids female genital mutilation. Additionally, in 2013, a National Gender Policy was created. IDLO has meanwhile worked with government officials and tribal elders to identity and strengthen pro-women elements in Xeer, the customary justice system used by a large majority of Somalis.

AMISOM troops on the road linking the airport to Kismayo cityThree years ago this month, Somali and African Union (AMISOM) troops recaptured the Kismayo area from al-Shabaab insurgents. The city is a key port and the economic hub of the southern region of Jubaland. Its return to government control has encouraged trade and allowed UN agencies and NGOs to bring in relief supplies. But the further south one travels in Somalia, the more volatile the situation: security in and around Kismayo remains fragile.

Camels graze on the road to MogadishuThe camel blends into Somalia’s psyche and economy as much as it blends into its physical landscapes. In this pastoral society, the camel is vital as a source of nutrition and essential as a means of transportation. This dual function has made the camel a factor of sustainability and social cohesion for many centuries. But the animal also serves as a currency: it is given away, for example, to settle disputes under Xeer, the traditional legal system.

Internally displaced children outside a camp in MogadishuIn late 2013, 1.1 million people in Somalia were estimated to be internally displaced. Compounding the harsh conditions in which many of the refugees live, this demographic dispersion makes the organization of elections or referenda logistically impossible. In 2012, in an effort to generate legitimacy for Somalia’s constitutional process, IDLO ‘piloted’ the draft Constitution among the Somalis housed at Kakuma camp in northern Kenya – a rare case of empowerment of the most disadvantaged.

Delivering firewood in MogadishuDeforestation has ravaged Somalia in recent decades, with charcoal from illegally chopped trees almost the only fuel available for cooking and heating. It is not just the environment that has suffered: women traveling long distances in search of firewood have been assaulted and raped; and as a cash generator for the al-Shabaab militia, the charcoal trade has fed the insurgency.

Coffee at ParliamentA cafe at the Parliament building would be an unremarkable sight in most countries, but such 'normalcy' is very recent in Somalia. The country's Federal Parliament has only existed since 2012. As conventional elections could not be held, MPs were selected to broadly reflect Somalia's various interests and constituencies, and their credentials were vetted by a technical committee. 30 percent of the seats are reserved for women.